Danish TV reporter cut off by Qatar security staff during live broadcast
TV2 journalist Rasmus Tantholdt was told to stop filming and threatened with the destruction of his camera equipment by local security staff during a live broadcast from FIFA World Cup host nation Qatar.
During the live broadcast, studio host Troels Mylenberg refers to criticism of Qatar and asks Tantholdt his experience of this first-hand.
In response, the reporter says “I can show you what conditions are like if we turn the camera”.
The clip of the live broadcast, which was subsequently spread on social media, then shows three Qatar officials demanding the Danish TV crew stop filming.
“We are live on Danish television,” Tantholdt says as he switches to English and shows his press accreditation.
“You invited the whole world to come here. Why can’t we film? It’s a public place,” he then protests.
He then says “do you want to break the camera? So you’re threatening us by smashing the camera”.
Tantholdt, who is well known in Denmark as a war journalist and has reported from locations including Syria and Ukraine, later tweeted that he had received an apology from Qatar International Media Office and Qatar Supreme Committee following the incident.
We now got an apology from Qatar International Media Office and from Qatar Supreme Commitee.
This is what happened when we were broadcasting live for @tv2nyhederne from a roundabout today in Doha. But will it happen to other media as well? #FIFAWorldCupQatar2022 pic.twitter.com/NSJj50kLql
— Rasmus Tantholdt TV2 (@RasmusTantholdt) November 15, 2022
Denmark’s DBU football association has been one of the more critical voices of FIFA’s decision to award the World Cup to Qatar.
READ ALSO: Denmark will not send representative to Qatar World Cup unless new government in place
The men’s national team will wear a subdued kit during the upcoming tournament in a protest by manufacturer Hummel over human rights in the Gulf country.
The Danish team was denied permission by FIFA to wear training kit displaying a pro-human rights message while in Qatar.
National team coach Kasper Hjulmand has said the players will be “focused on football” during the tournament.
Tantholdt told his employer TV2 that authorities in Qatar seem unused to scrutiny from international media.
“They are afraid that some of these things will come out. My experience after having travelled to 110 countries around the world is that the more dirty laundry you have in the basement that you don’t want on show, the harder it is for us journalists to report. That’s what we’re seeing here,” he said.
“They do not like the inpouring of journalists who are running around to migrant camps and filming all over the place and interviewing homosexual people on the streets. Exposing the things Qatar is not necessarily happy to show the rest of the world,” he said.
“They want to show a huge football party, that everything is good. But as we can see, this must apparently happen with their permission,” he said.
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During the live broadcast, studio host Troels Mylenberg refers to criticism of Qatar and asks Tantholdt his experience of this first-hand.
In response, the reporter says “I can show you what conditions are like if we turn the camera”.
The clip of the live broadcast, which was subsequently spread on social media, then shows three Qatar officials demanding the Danish TV crew stop filming.
“We are live on Danish television,” Tantholdt says as he switches to English and shows his press accreditation.
“You invited the whole world to come here. Why can’t we film? It’s a public place,” he then protests.
He then says “do you want to break the camera? So you’re threatening us by smashing the camera”.
Tantholdt, who is well known in Denmark as a war journalist and has reported from locations including Syria and Ukraine, later tweeted that he had received an apology from Qatar International Media Office and Qatar Supreme Committee following the incident.
We now got an apology from Qatar International Media Office and from Qatar Supreme Commitee.
— Rasmus Tantholdt TV2 (@RasmusTantholdt) November 15, 2022
This is what happened when we were broadcasting live for @tv2nyhederne from a roundabout today in Doha. But will it happen to other media as well? #FIFAWorldCupQatar2022 pic.twitter.com/NSJj50kLql
Denmark’s DBU football association has been one of the more critical voices of FIFA’s decision to award the World Cup to Qatar.
READ ALSO: Denmark will not send representative to Qatar World Cup unless new government in place
The men’s national team will wear a subdued kit during the upcoming tournament in a protest by manufacturer Hummel over human rights in the Gulf country.
The Danish team was denied permission by FIFA to wear training kit displaying a pro-human rights message while in Qatar.
National team coach Kasper Hjulmand has said the players will be “focused on football” during the tournament.
Tantholdt told his employer TV2 that authorities in Qatar seem unused to scrutiny from international media.
“They are afraid that some of these things will come out. My experience after having travelled to 110 countries around the world is that the more dirty laundry you have in the basement that you don’t want on show, the harder it is for us journalists to report. That’s what we’re seeing here,” he said.
“They do not like the inpouring of journalists who are running around to migrant camps and filming all over the place and interviewing homosexual people on the streets. Exposing the things Qatar is not necessarily happy to show the rest of the world,” he said.
“They want to show a huge football party, that everything is good. But as we can see, this must apparently happen with their permission,” he said.
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